HOISINGTON - For those who like playing dirty, in the mud that is, the Hoisington Labor Day clown committee will hold a co-ed mud volleyball fundraiser on June 16 at the 4-H grounds between Great Bend and Hoisington.

HOISINGTON - The Hoisington High School forensics team had three students place in the top ten at the State Forensics Championship in Wichita on Saturday. Shannon Manka placed seventh in serious solo acting. Olivia Lowry and Jacob Durrett placed ninth in improvised duet acting.

HESSTON- The Hesston College community celebrated the academic accomplishments of 167 graduates during the commencement ceremony May 6. Joe Manickam, a 1987 Hesston College graduate presented the commencement address "Back to Basics," based on the college's 2011-12 theme verse from Micah 6:8.

Hoisington Middle School students participated in Cardinal Kindness Campaign by having students write down on a strip of paper the kind things they did. A chain throughout the central hall at the school was made with the links of red and white paper.

ELLINWOOD - Ten members of the Ellinwood High School Forensics Team competed at the KSHSAA 2A State Forensics Championships held at Bishop Carroll High School in Wichita on May 5. Ellinwood placed 6th in team sweepstakes out of 37 schools represented in the tournament.

HOISINGTON - At its regular meeting on Monday, USD 431 considered sharing the cost of purchasing a artificial turf machine that does deep cleaning with Great Bend and the junior college. The Hoisington High School football field is artificial turf.

Drew Nicholson, left, and Sam Hall celebrated their 9th birthdays by requesting donations for Kans for Kids Fighting Cancer Foundation rather than birthday gifts. The $145 donation was placed in the Becky Nicholson/Kans for Kids Scholarship that is given to any graduating high school senior that has received assistance from Kans for Kids while they battled cancer. The boys, both students of Holy Family School in Great Bend, were presented with certificates of appreciation.